Pages

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Spotlight Sunday!

What is your Real Name?
Jann H Schott

What are you Known as in "forums"/"blogs"?
Well, Jannarama or Jann

Short Bio ~
A 40-something mom of 2 daughters, 2 stepsons, a mini schnauzer and a Tibetan spaniel. Wife to a wonderful man, Erik whom I've known for 8+ years, and been married for 3+ years. He is my life, my love and my world!! We live in Peoria, Arizona with my mother and my older daughter, with Erik's younger son visiting us every other weekend.

How did you learn to do Scrapbooking (or Craft?)
Basically self taught. My sister in law sent me cards she created and I thought, 'hey, I can do this!'

How Long have you been Scrapbooking (or Crafting?)
For about 2+ years now. I've owned rubber stamps (not very many!) for quite a few years and would stamp stationery and envelopes.

What "style" would you describe your Personal crafting?
Style...Hmmmm. eclectic is a good description. It's always an evolving process for me. I can HONESTLY say I have never ever duplicated a card I've created. So each one is a one of a kind!!!

Do you do any Digital Scrapbooking or other digital media art?
Well, I *DID* create a couple of photo books using a program called mypublisher.com for my mom and me. I wrote the info regarding each photo, laid it out, and had it published and bound. One was for my honeymoon, one was for a cruise my mom and I took to Alaska, and one was about my dog, Daisy (the Tibby!) Many years ago I was the newsletter editor/creator for my daughter's Girl Scout community and for their elementary school's PTA. I also worked on the newsletter and website for a now defunct homeschooling group to which I belonged when I lived in Augusta, Georgia.

What are your 3 favorite projects and why?
One is a side-step card I created using Stephanie Barnard's The Stamps of Life located here: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/5826919491_571755f4c9_b.jpg
It incorporated a new style of card I learned from my "Weekly Inklings" sent to me from Splitcoaststampers.com. I love the colors (pink and brown)...and I got to play with Twine!

Another is THIS card: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5827470040_f64e4abfd3_b.jpg which I gave to a friend of mine for her birthday. The stamp set is from Stampin' Up which I borrowed from a friend. I used colored pencils and odorless paint thinner to blend the pencils to soften the look. I also enjoy the texture of the 'waves' behind the stamped picture. That's from a Fiskar's texture plate I've had for a long time. The ribbon is from Close To My Heart. I bought the white color, because I can use my Bic Markers to change the color to anything I need.

My 3rd favorite project is http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3640/5827469316_a4c2a2ec5e_z.jpg which is a birthday card I created using another stamp set from The Stamps of Life. (I've been a club member for just over 1 year now with TSOL.) This card has a hidden magnet that holds it together. It was the first card I made using a magnet to hold a gateway fold card together.

What are some of the drawbacks to the craft you find?
The competition for publication. There are some who just HAVE That knack to make anything beautiful out of nothing. Another drawback is wanting various items when I'm running out of room and money!!! It also can be frustrating looking at all the supplies I own and I can't get anything to 'work' together!!!

What are some of the enjoyments to the craft you find?
The pleasure of creating something that someone else will enjoy. THIS is one of the main reasons I create cards and not scrapbooks. I can give away my cards to others, via in bulk, or just mail them. With scrapbooking, it's something that I would make for myself for ME to enjoy. I also enjoy learning new folding techniques, and coloring techniques.

Do you use sketches?
I do use sketches sometimes. I like the challenges regarding sketches, and sometimes colors.

Where do you find Inspiration?
A lot of the newer ideas have come from reading magazines or emailed newsletters to which I subscribe.

Do you belong on any "Design teams" now or in the past?
No, the Scrapaholic's team is the first Design Team in which I've ever participated, and I'm thrilled I was chosen!

When you lose your "mojo" how do you get it back?
I attend a 'card workshop' once a month at a friend's house. It's more 'assembling' than creating, but it's fellowship which is fine.
A challenge will spur creativity as well.

Can you briefly describe how your process of creating begins? Such as with color, theme, etc choice?
I have a lot of 'doo-dads' already made--such as background die cuts already made to grab and create, along with embossed pieces of paper. If I'm looking at a word/phrase stamp set, I can usually envision a card. I do find it's easier to create a card when I have a 'saying' in mind.

What are your some ideas you share with others?
One idea I stumbled upon is whenever I am creating 'phrases' with words to stamp, I will lay the clear stamps upside down (stamping side down) and arrange it on a non stick mat first. THEN once it's laid out the way I like it, I press a clear acrylic block down on the layout. This way I can just stamp it all at once instead of trying to line up each individual word to stamp.
--Whenever I buy something new (for instance, the Action Wobbles), I will share a couple with a few of my friends.

What advice would you give to a newbie just starting in this crafting?
I suggest to visit someone who has a plethora of items so you can 'play' with their stuff and ask questions while working with their things. Go to craft workshops to experiment with various techniques and decide what you like.
I wish I had known this before I bought my electronic die cutting machine! I realized I just didn't NEED an electronic cutting machine. It sat more on the cart than it got used, so I gave it away to a charity, along with all the stuff that went with it (cartridges, supplies, etc.) The charity got a nice donation, and I got it out of my house.
I finally figured out that I would rather emboss with my manual machines and cut dies for backgrounds/sayings/pictures.

Any organizational tips you'd like to share?
-Try to buy the same size/brand each time you buy containers. This way they'll stack easily on top of each other.
-Buy a label maker & USE it! I have labeled my inks on 2 sides so whenever it's stacked, I can read the name of the color. I also took a sheet of white cardstock, and stamped a shape in EACH color on the sheet and labeled the colors. So if I need a 'green' I will hold my project piece up against the greens to see which one will work best to coordinate.
-I buy plastic baskets and store many things in them. Usually the "mart" stores sell them 2 for $2.00 for the regular size, or 3 for $1.00 for the slim baskets. I will store projects in these baskets and just move the baskets out of the way when I need to work on a different project.
-Try to clean up after EACH and every project. Yes, this is time consuming, but it sure is easier to start with a 'clean slate' so to speak when inspiration strikes.
-Create folders on the computer browser for your crafting bookmarks. For instance, I have "die cuts" in one folder, "Color techniques" in another folder, etc.
-Something that I wanted to do for a long time, but never found the RIGHT thing was to take an old wine rack--the kind that look like diamond shapes that bottles can rest in, and use THAT for my drawing/coloring utensils. I saw this done in someone's craft room and thought, "THAT is perfect." The closest I came to that was a 9 drawer container I found at Hobby Lobby. It sits on my craft desk and it works for now. The drawers are being used as containers. I have the front of the container supported on silicone 'feet' to prop the front up higher than the back, so the pens/markers/pencils gravitate towards the back of the shelf.

Any Budget Cost cutting tips?
-Check out the "DEAL OF THE DAY" crafting websites. I've scored MANY items at such a bargain price compared to retail with these places. I have these websites listed under my bookmarks in its own folder. I just use the "open all in tabs" option in that folder each morning to see what's available.
-Wait for SALES, or COUPONS to use on things you want. I'm a fan of pinkbydesignstore.com's stamps. Today they had a sale of 15% off (coupon code required) and over a certain price point, they offer free shipping. I've been eyeing a few of her stamp sets. Since I'm a member of her Stamp of the month club, I get a discount...I ordered multiple sets, got free shipping and saved 15%, which ALMOST equaled another set of stamps.
-There are some items that you can buy 'gently used' on ebay. Just make sure to read the fine print. Some ebay sellers offer free shipping.
-For things like colored pencils, I found some in the 'art' department that were SO much cheaper than in the Scrapbook section. Same thing with some other tools.
-Buy OFF season. Now is the time to get winter holiday scrapping items at a good price. Check the 'discount' stores like Kohl's, Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, etc.

What made you decide to start a Blog, website, Facebook Fan page, etc?
I had a personal blog, and realized I wanted to keep my personal life separate from my crafting life. So I created one through google. I love taking pictures and creating cards. I figured I could combine these two hobbies to showcase my best work.

What are the web addresses to all your places?
My crafting website is http://snap-schotts.blogspot.com
I chose THAT name as a play on my last name (Schott, which is pronounced, SHOT, not SCOT) and "snap-schotts" because of the pictures I take.
I'm on Facebook as http://www.facebook/jannarama
I'm also on Flickr as Jannarama

Do you sell any of your crafting projects?
No, I haven't sold any of my projects.
I'm not in this for the money.
I'm in this for the pleasure of creating and sharing.